Matrix-setting and type-line-casting machine



July 17, 1934. J. DORNETH 1,

MATRIX SETTING AND TYPE LINE CASTING MACHINE Filed March 14, 1935 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 TTITTT July 17, 1934. J. DORNETH 4 MATRIX SETTINGAND TYPE LINE CASTING MACHINE Filed March 14, I933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 17, 1934 UNITED STATES,

G.'m. b. H.,-Berlin, Germany I 2 Application March 14, 1933, Serial No. 660,734 In Germany,Marchufll,.1932 A 1 Y 6'Claims (c1. 199%3 invention relates to improvements in matrix setting and line casting machines equipped with a circuit of matrix bars and ring spaces suspended to and guided by wires, in which the cast matrices and spaces are brought by a vertically adjustable carriage from the casting point upwards to the distributingpoint and then trans-' ferred by means of a slide to the distributing wires from which theyfallby'gravity along the sliding wires inclined downwards. into the magazine behind the stationary matrices contained in the latter. a f j r Hitherto the matrix bars in such machines passed from the distributing point direct into the magazine arranged at a lower level-without being stopped on their way. The result of this was that they struck against the matrices standin'g still in the magazine with the full force corresponding to their speed and This resulted in damage to the matrix-bars, more particularly to'the type thereon, andthe whole kinetic energy which is considerable more particularly in the case of long matrix bars required for large type, hadto be taken up thereforehitherto by'the release devices. Owing to theseconstant heavy stresses of the release 'devices'responding to the slightest touch of the keys, bending and wear were caused which substantiallyaffected the reliable and easy working of the release devices. The bent and worn release devices were also loosened in their guides, and errors in the matter due to failures to release-the matrices corresponding to the keys depressed, or. to the release of more than one matrix on only one keybeing depressed, were the result of the: above mentioned unbraked falling movement of the 'mlatrices to be dis-. tributed from'the distributing point direct into the magazine. :In addition to these disadvantages, further drawbacks were caused by the fact that with theconstruction of themachine hitheritoused, the sliding wires leading from.:the,,dis-.

tributing pointto the magazine, were bent just in front of the magazine inthe direction towards it. When therefore'the-falling matrix bars have reached almost their maximum speed, their; suspension eyes are suddenly forced into a path of a different direction, whilst thelower ends owing to their inertia cannot atonce follow this change of direction. In that ,way,fl irregular oscillations of the falling matrix bars were produced hithereto just" in front' of the magazine thexbars collided withone another, damaged one another or atleast interfered with one another -in'their movement 'or locked each others paths.- At thesaid bend or change of direction of the guide wires, there was therefore frequently produceda-bending of the matrix barswhich became caught in one another, owing t'o' which the circulation of the'matriceswas stopped. The compositor had to leave his seat at the keyboard and disentangle the matrices caught in one another.-

- The object of the invention is to elimina'tein a simple manner'all the above mentioned disad vantages due to the unbraked falling movement of the"matrices to be distributed, from'the dis tributing point to the magazine.- According to the 'invention" this is'done 'by 'arranging within the so-called' basket of the machine receiving thematrix guide wires,' one stop ledge for each basket or magaZinehalt-the said ledge being moved by the distributing carriage These stop ledges-are preferably provided at the pointof bending of the distributing wires, situated just in front of the"-'magazine-, and so long as the distributing carriage has 'notyet reached its lower-. most position in front of the'castingpoint, they engage with the distributing wires. Their shape corresponds therefore to the shape of the wire basket at this-bend. The movement of all the matrices and ring spaces sliding down the wires from the distributing point to the magazine, is therefore stopped at this point of the basket just above the magazine, bythe stop ledges. The whole of their kineticenergy is thereforede stroyed by the stop ledges secured to the magazine frame, and as they are situated at the-bend or'turn'i'ng point of the g'uidewires. The great oscillation movements of the matrix bars hitherto takingplace at this point are also prevented and the-consequent already mentioned disadvantages avoided. v The matrix'ba'rs are therefore brought to a standstill at these ledges; and as soon as the distributing carriage {again reaches its lowermost position in front of the casting point, it raisesthe stop ledges fromthe'wire basket, owing towhich the'eyes of-thematrices stoppedby the ledges are released. Theyslide"themsmoothly and slowly infastraight line along the remaining short path of the magazine-with a correspondingly small kinetic energybehind thematrix' bars suspended A, construction according to the invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawings'in which:

Figure l isa sideelevation-of a;.machine'pro;

vided-withthe stop or catchtdevice-Q i Figure2 is a front elevationofFigure-l, matrix bars being indicated only in the left hand magazine half, whilst on the right hand side may be seen the matrix bars stopped in front of the magazine by the stop ledge.

Figure 3 shows on an enlarged scale the arrangement of a stop ledge and of the rods connecting it to the distributing carriage causing its movement, in its raised position corresponding to the lowermost position of the carriage.

Figure 4 is a partial side elevation of Figure 3, with the ledge in the same position, and

Figure 5 is a section, again on an enlarged scale, through the stop ledge on the line V-V of Figure 3, but with the stop ledge shown in its locking position corresponding to the raised carriage, a matrix bar stopped by it being also shown for making the matter clear.

The distributing wires 1 leading downwards in the known manner from the distributing point situated at a high point and forming the so-called distributing basket, are bent or deflected just above the frames 2 receiving the magazine and rigidly secured to the machine, in the direction towards the said frames. At this point of the basket, the stop ledges 3 are mounted on the frame 2 so as to be adjustable to a limited extent. These ledges have a peculiar shape corresponding exactly to the shape of the basket at this point. Each ledge 3 is guided on a magazine frame so as to be adjustable to a limited extent in two elongated holes 4, 5 by means of bolts 6. The bottom end 7 of the ledge 3 projects beyond the elongated hole 5 and engages with the arm 8 of a lever 9 which is mounted on the machine frame rotatably about the bolt 10. The other arm 11 of the bell crank lever 9 engages with a bolt or pin 12 provided on an arm 14 rigidly secured to the distributing carriage 13. The arrangement is made in such a manner that in the raised position of the carriage 13, that is to say, during the process of distribution, each stop ledge 3 engages with the wires 1 and rests with its bottom end '7 on the arm 8 of the bell crank lever 9. The ledge 3 and the lever 9 are held in such engagement by the weight of the ledge 3, but a spring 16 may also be connected for the purpose to the ledge 3. For the same reason, the two arms 8 and 11 of the bell crank lever 9 are also made unequal, and so arranged relatively to the pivot point 10 that the heavier arm 11 which engages with the pin 12 of the carriage 13 (see Figure 4), has the tendency to move downwards, owing to which a constant engagement of the lighter arm 8 with the end 7 of the stop ledge 3 is ensured. The end positions of the bell crank lever 9 may of course be fixed in any desired manner by stops 17.

The working of the machine is as follows:

During the casting of a line set, the carriage 13 is in its lowermost position indicated in Figures 1, 3, and 4. The pin 12 secured by means of the arm 14 to the carriage 13, engages with the arm 11 of the bell crank lever 9 and keeps it therefore in the position shown in Figure 4, owing to which the stop ledge 3 is lifted ofi from the distributing wires 1 as indicated in Figure 3. As soon as the line set has been cast, the matrices 15 to be distributed are brought by the carriage 13 vertically upwards to the distributing point and transferred in a known manner to the distributing wires 1 by means of a slide not shown. From the said wires the matrices under the action of their weight move downwards in the usual manner along the guide wires to the magazine. As soon however as the carriage 13 beginsto move upwards from its lowermost position (see Figure 1.),

for the purpose of carrying upwards the matrices cast, the bolt 12 will also release the lever arm 11 so that the ledge 3, owing to its greater weight, will be able to move downwards and will turn the bell crank lever 9, until the said ledge engages with the distributing wires 1 as indicated in Figure 5. The matrices 15 transferred to the distributing wires 1 cannot now fall direct into the magazine, their movement is stopped by the ledges 3 as the eyes of the matrix bars cannot pass between the ledges 3 and the guide wires 1. The ledges 3 will remain in the position locking the movement of the matrices until the carriage 13 reaches again its lowermost position ready to receive new matrices to be cast. As however the matrices to be distributed cover the distance from the uppermost point of the basket to the ledges 3 in a substantially shorter time than that required by the carriage for passing from its upper distributing position to the bottom casting position, the matrix bars held up by the stop ledges 3 will be first brought completely to a standstill here before they are allowed to continue their movement. As soon as the carriage 13 reaches the casting point, the bolts 12 will engage with the arms 11 of the bell crank levers 9 and turn them about the pins 10 to the position shown in Figure 4, owing to which the stop ledges 3 will be raised by the lever arms 8 as far as allowed by the elongated holes 4, 5, that is to say the ledges 3 will be brought from their locking position to the position indicated in Figure 3. The elongated holes 4, 5 as well as the movement of the lever arms 8 are of course calculated in such amanner that the ledges 3 will be raised to an extent sufficient to allow the eyes of the matrices 15 to pass freely between their bottom edge and the wires 1. As the magazine in the machines to which the present application relates, is generally constituted by two equal halves arranged symmetrically of each other, for each of these magazine halves is provided a stop ledge 3 allotted to the corresponding distributing basket half. Accordingly also the other devices mentioned for instance the bell crank lever 9 and the arm 14 with the pin 12 are provided in duplicate. In the drawings however, the arrangement is shown only for one magazine side.

The arrangement described in the preceding ensures therefore that the matrix bars to be distributed which are in full movement are first stopped shortly in front of the magazine until they come completely to a standstill. Their kinetic energy is therefore taken up by the stop ledges 3 engaging with the magazine frames 2, and the matrix releasing devices are no longer exposed to the stresses for the purpose. Afterwards the matrix bars can travel the remaining short path from the stop ledges to the point behind the matrices hanging in the magazine, without any oscillations and with only a small speed and momentum, as soon as the ledges 3 are raised a short distance in the manner already described by the carriage 13 on reaching the casting point for the purpose of opening the path for the matrices.

In connection with the foregoing it is to be noted that only the last downward sliding movement of the cast matrices from the distributing point to the magazine is interrupted according to the present invention by a stop ledge or holding bar 3 extending into the path of the matrices so that the matrix bars may swing out and be brought to a standstillbefore they bear behind the matrix bars in the magazine for the purpose of being used again. It is true that the matrix bars have to cover approximately the same distance from the stop ledge on bar 3 to the magazine and after the stop ledge 3 is raised by the carriage 13, the matrix bars previously locked by the stop ledge 3 therefore also pass approximately at the same time into the magazinez directly in front but the matrix bars released by the stop ledge 3 do not have the same distance to travel in the carriage 13. After raising the stop ledge 3 the matrix bars pass only into the magazine and they are only released from the magazine when keys are depressed again so as to pass again v to the distributing point or into the casting carriage and in the sequence in which the keys are depressed. The holding bar or stop ledge 3 has nothing to do with the actual setting operation, on the contrary its function concerns solely the process of distribution.

Having now fully described the invention what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a matrix setting and line casting machine the combination with matrix bars and supporting and guiding wires for conducting the bars from an upper receiving point to a lower distributing point, of movably mounted stop means in engagement with the distributing wires for stopping the movement of .the matrix bars on said wires, and means for periodically raising the stop means to allow continued movement of the matrix bars.

2. A matrix setting and line casting machine of the type having matrices and ring spacers suspended on distributing wires mounted on two frames and forming a basket between the receiving point and magazine and having a vertically movable distributing carriage, means for braking the kinetic energy of the matrix bars and ring spacers falling back into the magazine, in-

cluding a stop ledge adjustably mounted to a' limited extent on each frame and corresponding in shape to that of the basket formed at this point by the distributing wires, and means operably connecting the ledge and carriage so that the ledge during the distribution process of the machine, that is to say, as long as the distributing carriage is in raised position engages with the distributing wires and thus locks the path of the suspension eyes of the matrix bars to be distributed, sliding towards the magazine.

3. A matrix setting and line casting machine according to claim 2, wherein means are provided for adjustably mounting the stop ledges and include the provision of elongated holes in the ledges, and pins secured to the magazine frames and engaging the holes in such a manner, that on the lower ends of the ledges being raised, the ledges are lifted off from the distributing wires throughout the whole of their length.

4. A matrix setting and line casting machine according to claim 2, wherein the means for operably connecting the carriage and each ledge together include a bell crank lever rotatably mounted onethe machine frame and having a long arm and short arm in constant engagement with the ledge, a stop pin secured to the carriage for cooperating with the long arm of the bell crank lever, so that on the carriage reaching its bottom position, the long arm'is depressed by said stop thereby raising the short arm and the ledge.

5. A matrix setting and line casting machine according to claim 2, wherein the means for operably connecting the carriage and each ledge together include a bell crank lever rotatably mounted on the machine frame and having a long arm and short arm in constant engagement with the ledge, a stop "pin secured to the carriage for cooperating with the long arm of the bell crank lever, so that on the carriage reaching its bottom position, the long arm is depressed by said stop thereby raising the short arm and the ledge, and the long arm of the bell crank lever facing the carriage being of a greater Weight than the short lever arm facing away from the carriage so as to constantly maintain engagement between the short arm and the corresponding bottom end of the corresponding stop ledge.

6. A matrix setting and line casting machine according to claim 2, wherein the means for operably connecting the carriage and each ledge together include a bell crank lever rotatably mounted on the machine frame and having a long arm and short arm in constant engagement with the ledge, a stop pin secured to the carriage for cooperating with the long arm of the bell crank lever, so that on the carriage reach- JULIUS DORNETH. 

